YCLSA Mpumalanga Pledges Solidarity with Mine workers

"Better starve fighting than to starve working"

9 February 2017

The Young Communist League of South Africa [uFasimba] in Mpumalanga province is deeply concerned and outraged on how the workers at both Lily mine and Barbrook are treated by Vantage Goldfields owners since, the mine collapse incident on 05 February 2016. The workers worked for months without payment, to a point the Mpumalanga Provincial Government had to intervene with food parcels.

The situation facing the community of Louieville and the workers led to them blockading the R38 route to get attention from our own democratic government. This culminated to a meeting that was held yesterday, 08 February 2017. The meeting expected the presence of the CEO of Vantage Goldfields, the Rescue Practitioner and Minister of Mineral Resources, all who failed to be available.

We are however taken aback by the Hollywood-star behaviour of the Minister of Mineral Resources, Msebenzi Zwane who cannot keep his populist declaration he made when he visited the workers. He promised to compensate the families of the trapped by R200 000 and those who were rescued R50 000 each. Since, this populist stunt he is nowhere to be found. We expect him to commission and investigation which led to the sinking of the container. The investigation will help us to understand if the mine complied to Occupational Health Act and Safety and Health Act as enshrined in the mining charter. We wonder, what is difficult for him to revoke the license from this incapable, heartless Vantage Goldfields.

The minister must pay what he promised.

We reiterate the call that the Minister of Mineral Resources seemed to be puzzled on what are his duties and the President must save the image of the movement by removing this fellow.

The mine management must pay the workers what is due to them.

All affected stakeholders must fundraise the required money to repatriate the trapped workers.

To the workers, we say soldier on because it is impossible for workers and mining bosses to have common interests.

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable"